Rumi on Mystical Dance

Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi was a 13th century Persian poet, an Islamic dervish and a Sufi mystic. He was born in 1207 AD in Balkh, which is in present day Afghanistan. He passed from this plane of being in 1273AD.

In 1244 AD he met a teacher named Shems of Tabriz and they became close friends. They developed a highly Spiritual form of communication known as Sohbet, which is a meeting beyond the mind. The word literally means ‘communication’, but on a level way beyond the intellect. It is said that this kind of conversation can go on for days, without those involved having food, drink or sleep; as they are on a plane beyond the physical.

This communion was brought to an end when Shems of Tabriz suddenly disappeared; it was suspected that he had been murdered by Rumi’s followers, who were jealous of their relationship.

In his grief Rumi began to write poetry and dance as the Whirling Dervishes do. This practice is meant to raise the consciousness of the participant to a state of ecstatic oneness with the Divine.

Rumi said about this that:

“‎Dancing is not just getting up painlessly, like a leaf blown on the wind; dancing is when you tear your heart out and rise out of your body to hang suspended between the worlds.”

“Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re perfectly free.”

It is a form of moving meditation, where the dancer enters into a trance like state. Rumi says, regarding this:

“In order to understand the dance one must be still. And in order to truly understand stillness one must dance.”

While whirling, the dervish’s arms are open with his right hand directed to the sky, representing his readiness to receive Divine beneficence. The dervish’s left hand is turning toward the earth, representing his willingness to convey Divine Wisdom to those present. It is also believed that while revolving from right to left around the heart, the dervish embraces all humanity with love, since Sufis believe that the human being was created with love in order to love. Rumi states:

“Without love, all worship is a burden, all dancing is a chore, all music is mere noise.”

Besides the physical form of dance there is an inner dance that we all are involved in, in some way or another. Of this Rumi says:

“A divine dance appears in the soul and the body at the time of peace and union. Anyone can learn the dance, just listen to the music.”

He also states:

“We rarely hear the inward music, but we’re all dancing to it nevertheless. “

In incredibly beautiful and profound words he writes:

“In your light I learn how to love. In your beauty, how to make poems. You dance inside my chest where no-one sees you, but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art.”

This raises dance far above mere entertainment. All kinds of dance have their place of course and, as in all things, there are many levels and degrees. Most forms of dance involve discipline and concentration and can require a great amount of creativity and artistry that has a beneficial effect on both participant and viewer. Some dance can be very sensual, other forms telling a story, as in ballet, and some interpretations can be spontaneous and exhilarating. The highest form is the one that transcends all of these definitions to take us beyond any limitations.

So let us heed the invitation of Rumi when he says:

“Come to me, and I shall dance with you
In the temples, on the beaches, through the crowded streets
Be you man or woman, plant or animal, slave or free
I shall show you the brilliant crystal fires, shining within
I shall show you the beauty deep within your soul
I shall show the path beyond Heaven.

Only dance, and your illusions will blow in the wind
Dance, and make joyous the love around you
Dance, and your veils which hide the Light
Shall swirl in a heap at your feet. “

Post Tags

Share Post

Wayne was born in Farnworth nr Bolton, Lancashire. He worked for 20 years as a gardener. In 1973 he joined the Theosophical Society in and has been President of the Bolton Lodge for about 25 years. Wayne is also the joint Vice President of the North-Western Federation and editor of the North-Western Federation Journal. He is a national speaker for the Theosophical Society and also contributes articles to the Theosophist and other Theosophical magazines. He also rites poems and stories and enjoys music, art, nature and literature.

Welcome to Hermes, an international magazine with a key focus on esotericism, Theosophy, philosophy, religion and science. Hermes will function focusing on themes that will change every three months. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by individual authors in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editors.

Hermes Magazine Copyright@2019

Sign-up to receive updates of Hermes Magazine

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.